The two have known each other since Clove was 11 months old and Chandler began working as an intern at the Denali National Park kennel in 2014.

Typically, kennel staff “adopt” one of the sled dogs for the summer and take him for regular walks. Chandler remembers having a choice between three yearlings. Her first choice, Prusik, was the easiest because Prusik was such a laid-back pup. But she ended up walking Clove.

“Clove was the exact opposite of Prusik,” Chandler said. “She was the loudest in the kennel for a very long time. She just loves attention and was screaming for attention all the time.”

“If you were to pet another dog anywhere in that yard, she would scream for attention. You would go to her and she would act like she didn’t want you there.

“Totally cheeky pants.”

Walking the dog was a new experience for the growing puppies this year. They had to learn to break the habit of spinning around and bumping into their handlers during walks. This was especially difficult for Clove, who really looked forward to the walks.

“We grew up together in Denali for a few years,” Chandler said.

She walked Clove for five years, and during that time Clove also gave birth to two litters of puppies, with seven puppies in each litter: the Denali Centennial litter of 2017 and the Switzerland litter of 2019.

“We just experienced all these moments together and that makes them so special,” Chandler said.

“Clove and I have known each other for a decade now,” she said. “This is my 10th summer in Alaska.”

The family includes two other dogs, but Clove is the biggest and most bossy, she said.

“She has retired, but she has not given up her attitude,” Chandler said.

People can apply to adopt from the park’s kennel, retiring sled dogs, and Chandler was able to successfully adopt Clove in spring 2022.

In May, Chandler noticed that Clove was beginning to limp. When the limp didn’t improve after a few weeks of rest, she took Clove to the vet and had her do an MRI scan. The scan revealed that Clove had synovial cell sarcoma, a soft tissue cancer that affects the joints – in this case, the elbow of her left front leg. She was finding it increasingly difficult to bear weight on the leg. The good news is that while the cancer can be locally aggressive, it often spreads slowly, metastasizing to other parts of the body.

Clove is scheduled to have her leg amputated today to remove the cancer. This operation could extend her life by three or more years.

In advance, Chandler published a GoFundMe request at shorturl.at/HB7IQ to help finance the operation. Donations were generous.

The GoFundMe campaign was an emotional step for Chandler, who is not used to asking for help, and she is overwhelmed by the positive response.

“It’s very sweet and it’s going to take me a while to work through it,” she said.

“It is devastating to witness the pain of your best canine friend; terrifying to consider how uncertain her quality of life is and how long she will be with us; and difficult to maintain hope for a quick, easy and full recovery,” she wrote on the GoFundMe page.

The surgery will take place today and Chandler will now focus on Clove’s recovery and the future.

“This winter alone, she and I and our two other dogs walked over 100 miles together on local trails,” Chandler said. “Of course, Clove will never do that again.”

She thought back to Clove’s nine years at Denali Park Kennels.

“Clove ran 11,140 miles and was 3,426 miles ahead,” she said.

Chandler has never been a cross-country skier, but she now believes Clove may push her into this new endeavor, which could be a perfect new outdoor pastime for both of them.

“She’ll probably still be faster than me,” she added. “If there’s a dog that really doesn’t care and will go for it, it’s Clove. That’s just how she is. She’s very stubborn.”